College football 2018: Ranking the 20 best quarterbacks

Justin Herbert grew up in Eugene, Oregon, so when it came time for him to pick a college, the University of Oregon just made too much sense. As a senior in high school, Herbert established himself as one of the best quarterbacks in the country, throwing for over 3,100 yards and 37 touchdowns while also running in ten scores.

In 2016, as a true freshman, Herbert began the season as a backup to graduate transfer Dakota Prukop. Prukop was attempting to fill the shoes left vacant by Marcus Mariota, who was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. Well, Prukop failed miserably, and the team turned to the true freshman the rest of the way.

During his freshman year, Herbert showed flashes of brilliance, throwing for nearly 2,000 yards and 19 touchdowns. The expectation was that he would round into one of the best quarterbacks in the conference, if not the entire country, as he has the size and arm to be a guy who plays on Sundays.

Heading into the 2017 season, many liked Oregon to possibly win the Pac-12. They had a stud running back in Royce Freeman, and Herbert looked the part as someone who would take a big step forward in year two. Unfortunately, with his team at 4-1, Herbert suffered an injury to his collarbone and would have to miss over a month of the season.

Herbert did return, but it was too late, as the Ducks had to settle for an invitation to the Las Vegas Bowl. Still, there are high hopes for him and the Ducks once again in 2018, and if he can stay on the field, he will re-establish himself as one of the best quarterbacks in the country, and has the talent to be a guy who throws for nearly 4,000 yards this season.